The USAMO (United States of America Mathematics Olympiad) provides a means of identifying and encouraging the most creative secondary mathematics students in the country. It serves to indicate the talent of those who may become leaders in the mathematical sciences of the next generation. The USAMO is part of a worldwide system of national mathematics competitions, a movement in which both educators and research mathematicians are engaged in recognizing and celebrating the imagination and resourcefulness of our youth.

The USAMO is a six question, two day, 9 hour essay/proof examination. All problems can be solved with pre-calculus methods. Approximately 250 of the top scoring AMC participants (based on a weighted average) are invited to take the USAMO. Participation on the USAMO will be limited to American citizens or permanent residents in other words, those seeking citizenship and currently possessing a U.S.A. Immigration “green card”.

The twelve top scoring USAMO students are invited to a two day Olympiad Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC sponsored by the MAA, the Akamai Foundation, the Microsoft Corporation and the Matilda Wilson Foundation. Six of these twelve students will comprise the United States team that competes in the “International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The IMO began in 1959; the USA has participated since 1974.

The USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) is a two day, nine-hour, six-question,essay-proof examination. Only USA citizens or permanent residents (currently possessing a USA green card) will be invited to officially take the USAMO.

  • Selection for the USAMO will be made according to the follwing rules:
    1. The goal is to select about 250 of the top scorers from the prior AIME and AMC 12A, AMC 12B, AMC 10A and AMC 10B contests to participate in the USAMO.
    2. Selection will be based on the USAMO index which is defined as 10 times the student’s AIME score plus the student’s score on the AMC 12 or the AMC 10.
    3. The first selection will be the approximately 160 highest USAMO indices of students taking the AMC 12A or AMC 12B contest.
    4. The lowest AIME score among those 160 first selected will determine a floor value. The second selection of USAMO participants will be from the highest USAMO indices among students who took the AMC 10A or AMC 10B and the AIME, and got an AIME score at least as high as the floor value.
    5. The student with the highest USAMO index from each state, territory, or U.S. possession not already represented in the selection of the first and second groups will be invited to take the USAMO.
    6. To adjust for variations in contest difficulty, the number of students selected from A & B contests will be proportional to the number of students who took the (A & B) Contests.
    7. The selection process is designed to favor students who take the more mathematically comprehensive AMC 12A and AMC 12B contests.
  • In advising students who desire to be selected for the USAMO whether to take the AMC 12 level contests or the AMC 10 level contests, it will be to their advantage to take the AMC 12 level contests.

The AMC Web Site was last updated on 8/30/02